Wish I may, wish I might Give me the wish I wish tonight
by shoujo-goddess
Summary: this is a drabble that I wrote for an AU created by tumblr artist pulppy-s. this AU is set during the second world war. Matthew is a mental patient at a hospital, and Gilbert is a General in the German army. I took a small artistic liberty by placing the characters in France during the German occupation. The cover image used is art drawn by pulppy-s for this AU!


Usually when Gilbert came to visit Matthew was more than happy to see him. The French youth would quietly converse with Gilbert about his morning, and Gilbert would tell him about his day. Sometimes when Gilbert visited, the young man behind the window would stay quiet. He was content to simply hear Gilbert read. The days between the two passed peacefully.

Though there were bad days.

Even though most of the time that Gilbert visited Matthew was excited; there were days when Matthew wouldn't even greet Gilbert like he'd been taught. Sometimes there were days when Matthew wouldn't even lift his head from his pillow.

Today seemed to be one of those days.

The day was sunny, and hot. Gilbert had changed into civilian clothes. His tweed jacket was slung over one arm, while the other carried a small book of poetry. Gilbert rounded the corner of the building and stopped right in front of the youth's window.

"_Guten morgen_, Matthew." He greeted to the empty window, sure that Matthew would appear. He heard the rustling of sheets, and glimpsed a single curl shifting beneath the window. Gilbert smiled quietly. It seemed today had put a strain on the pretty youth.

"Shall I begin reading? Or do you wish to tell me about your day?" Gilbert smiled wider, pleased with how his French had improved. There was more shifting of sheets and the crown of Matthews head peeked out ever so slightly. Gilbert leaned against the wall beside the window, and opened the book. He took a calming breath before he began. Today he was reading the German translation of Romeo and Juliet. He'd just gotten to where Romeo met Juliet when Matthew said something in French that the officer didn't quite catch.

"_Was hast du gesagt_?" he'd automatically asked in his mother tongue, Gilbert bit his cheek when he realized. The blonde remained quiet; apparently waiting for the officer to ask again in French.

"What did you say?" he asked again. Gilbert moved from the wall and stood in front of the window.

The mental patient had now shifted onto his elbows so that Gilbert could see his face. It seemed thinner today than the day before; his usually quietly shining dark blue eyes were solemn and void of emotion. The youth looked tired and like he hadn't slept at all the night before. Matthew's hair still glowed though. His dark blonde waves sparkled just slightly in the sunlight. A silent moment passed between the two during which Gilbert marveled at Matthew's beauty.

Birds chirped as they flew by in the air, and a nurse scolded a patient for misbehaving in quick French. Matthew reached up and shifted that single misbehaving curl out of his face.

Matthews eyes met Gilberts, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Gilbert rushed forward to the window in alarm. He watched Matthew with a pained look in his eyes; the officer wanted nothing more than to be able to hold the other man as he cried. Matthew was crying silently so as to not alarm a nurse. From his dark lashes fat salty drops left a trail down the man's hallow face. A squeaking escaped the youths tightly drawn mouth.

Gilbert reached through the bars of the window and Matthew's headboard with his right hand. He brushed his knuckles against Matthews face to gain his attention. The patient opened his wet eyes and seemed to be begging Gilbert to say something with them.

"_Schatz_, what is wrong?" Gilbert asked gently as he rubbed his thumb over the others cheek in a soothing motion. Matthew visibly relaxed and leaned into Gilberts ministrations. The officer sighed, he was content to wait until Matthew was ready to speak.

"_Traurige nachricht_."

Gilbert blinked; apparently the little beauty had been trying to remembering some German. Matthew's eyes were downcast now but he didn't pull away from Gilberts hand. The officer took that as a personal victory.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Matthew looked up at the heavily accented words; he met the officer's eyes for a moment. Then the French youth nodded just once. The officer continued cupping Matthew's face in his palm.

The youth told gilbert about his younger cousin. He told him about his uncle, and about the summers he'd spend visiting them in England. He told gilbert about how his cousin moved to America, only to return within a year. Matthew was telling gilbert about his life before the hospital, and gilbert was internally grateful that he gave him this trust.

Then Matthew told him about how his cousin had joined the army soon after Matthew'd been brought in. gilberts expression remained soft but became slightly harder, he knew where this was going.

"My father sent me a letter this morning. He said that he was doing fine, and he told me about how my pet dog was doing. It was a rather pleasant letter all in all," Matthew faltered in his story and turned his gaze down again. gilbert playfully pinched the blondes cheek. the youth jumped and looked at him with alarm.

"Continue, please?" Gilbert leaned his head slightly to the left. He watched as Matthew quirked his mouth ever so slightly.

"At the end of the letter my father told me that my cousin had been hurt badly in battle." Matthew continued look at the Germans face. Gilbert watched Matthews expression. Blue eyes strayed downward to a pair of ghostly pale lips.

He heard Matthew mutter some French he couldn't understand. After his visit, when he was chased away by some nurse's because it was time Matthew took his medicine. With his right palm burning from the contact with the Frenchmen's cheek, he would ask his younger brother what it meant.

**Je souhaite que je pourrais vous embrasser **

_Ich wünschte, ich__könnte__dich küssen_

"I wish I could kiss you"

**Translations:**

**Guten morgen – good morning**

**Was hast du gesagt****?- what did you say?**

**Schatz- Treasure**

**Traurige nachricht- sad news**


End file.
